TY - JOUR
T1 - Female genital concealment and a corresponding male clasping apparatus in Australian ripple bugs (Hemiptera: Veliidae)
AU - Maroni, Paige J.
AU - Bryant, Kate A.
AU - Tatarnic, Nikolai J.
N1 - Funding Information:
Specimens were collected under DBCA Reg.17 08-000214-1 and Reg.25 F025000006. We acknowledge the advice of Dr Jeremy Shaw and the facilities of Microscopy Australia at the Centre for Microscopy, Characterisation & Analysis, The University of Western Australia , a facility funded by the University, State and Commonwealth Governments . We thank two anonymous reviewers, whose comments greatly improved this manuscript.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 Elsevier Ltd
PY - 2023/5
Y1 - 2023/5
N2 - Conflicts of interest over reproduction between males and females are widespread in sexually reproducing species. This is exemplified in water striders (Gerridae), where females vigorously resist costly mating attempts, and males and females often exhibit elaborate grasping and anti-grasping morphological traits. Like water striders, their sister-group, the ripple bugs (Veliidae), share similar life histories and are expected to face similar conflicts over mating. Veliids in the genus Nesidovelia exhibit elaborate sexual dimorphism, which is predicted to function in intersexual antagonistic struggles. This includes concealed genitalia in females, and elaborate pregenital abdominal modifications in males. By documenting mating behaviour in Nesidovelia peramoena and freezing pairs in copula, we show that males and females struggle prior to mating, and male abdominal modifications function to gain access to the female's concealed genitalia. This is consistent with, though not limited to, sexual conflict.
AB - Conflicts of interest over reproduction between males and females are widespread in sexually reproducing species. This is exemplified in water striders (Gerridae), where females vigorously resist costly mating attempts, and males and females often exhibit elaborate grasping and anti-grasping morphological traits. Like water striders, their sister-group, the ripple bugs (Veliidae), share similar life histories and are expected to face similar conflicts over mating. Veliids in the genus Nesidovelia exhibit elaborate sexual dimorphism, which is predicted to function in intersexual antagonistic struggles. This includes concealed genitalia in females, and elaborate pregenital abdominal modifications in males. By documenting mating behaviour in Nesidovelia peramoena and freezing pairs in copula, we show that males and females struggle prior to mating, and male abdominal modifications function to gain access to the female's concealed genitalia. This is consistent with, though not limited to, sexual conflict.
KW - Functional morphology
KW - Mating
KW - Micro-CT
KW - Sexual conflict
KW - Sexual selection
KW - Veliidae
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85151460512&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.asd.2023.101254
DO - 10.1016/j.asd.2023.101254
M3 - Article
C2 - 37003094
AN - SCOPUS:85151460512
SN - 1467-8039
VL - 74
JO - Arthropod Structure and Development
JF - Arthropod Structure and Development
M1 - 101254
ER -